The Curse of Blackmoor Manor Walkthrough

Welcome to my Curse of Blackmoor Manor walk-through. (-: If you're new to my series of low-spoiler computer game walkthroughs, the idea is to point players
towards things they might not have tried in each game rather than giving away puzzle solutions or offering step-by-step instructions.

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These Nancy Drew games are structured a little differently than most graphic adventure games, though. In particular, you can solve most of the game's
puzzles in any order you feel like, making a chronological walkthrough of little use. Even with all the secret passages in this particular game,
it makes more sense to use a CRPG-style area guide rather than breaking the game down into
chronological chapters. I've included a checklist of important tasks at the beginning and one of optional tasks at the end. Note that I don't
tell you how to solve any of the puzzles--just where they are. If you've found a puzzle but just can't seem to get it right no matter what you do,
UHS is a good place to go for a
single hint that won't spoil the rest of the game for you.

The Curse of Blackmoor Manor: Key Tasks

If you find yourself getting stuck in the game, keep in mind that the answer frequently doesn't have anything to do with puzzles or additional
exploration. Frequently you just need to speak with an NPC for the plot to continue advancing. So if you
really have no idea what to do next, first make sure that none of the four NPC's have anything to say to you. If you're desperate you can
ask the incredibly annoying Loulou for a hint. If all those things fail, take a look at this checklist of important tasks you
will need to complete to solve the game (in rough chronological order):

1) Talk to all the NPC's. Repeatedly. Having certain conversations with them is necessary for the plot to progress. Calling Ned
is completely optional in The Curse of Blackmoor Manor (he doesn't even reveal any hints-- Junior detectives can go to Loulou for that,
if you can stand listening to him talk.) Jane sometimes won't tell you information
or give you objects you need unless you play a game with her first; Nigel and Aunt Leticia each require you to solve a puzzle once.

2) Solve a puzzle box and an astrology puzzle in your bedroom. (If nothing seems to match, note that there are *four* star charts on the wall,
not one-- you have to click on the folded corner of each map to turn to the next page.)

3) Solve the lever puzzle at the top of the spiral staircase.

4) Solve a puzzle outside Jane's room (you'll need to order an inventory item from the pub before you can do this.) You must have completed #3 first.

5) Solve a puzzle on the "Betty" card game machine and then beat it at cards. (You'll need an inventory object and some additional information first.)

6) Figure out the password to Alan's computer and solve his Ghosts puzzle, then follow his instructions until you win a quest item.

7) Figure out how to open Jane's secret passage.

8) Solve the parrot door puzzle in Jane's secret passage (you only actually have to talk to Loulou once-- after that you can guess all the answers by simple
word association.) You must have already done #7 to complete this task.

9) Figure out how to open Linda's secret passage. You must have already done #7 to complete this task.

10) Solve the runes door puzzle in Linda's secret passage. You must have already done #9 to complete this task.

11) Solve the triangle puzzles at the end of Jane and Linda's secret passages (they affect each other, so you may need to go back and forth a few
times.) You must have already done #8 and #10 to complete this task.

12) Go down the side corridor just after passing through the split door, and solve the water puzzle on the door. (Going into this room first is optional;
if you miss doing it, don't worry about it.) You must have already done #11 to complete this task.

13) Go into the moving rooms maze. Find the map disk and figure out how to make your way to the forge (marked as an "angel" on the map disk.)
You must have already done #11 to complete this task.

14) Solve the alchemy door puzzle. You must have already done #13 to complete this task.

15) Explore the forge and solve the Four Winds puzzle. You must have already done #14 to complete this task.

16) Go back into Linda's section of the secret passage and solve the Mercury puzzle behind the coffin-shaped door. (You may have solved this by trial and
error much earlier on-- I certainly had-- but the actual way to solve it is located in the forge.)

17) Collect a quest item from the library. You must have already done #16 to complete this task.

18) Solve the frogs puzzle in the conservatory. You must have already done #12 to complete this task.

19) Open all six columns and adjust the pipes correctly. You must have the six quest items from #2, #4, #5, #6, #17, and #18 to accomplish this.

20) Solve a puzzle to light the forge. You will need to have completed all the previous tasks #1-19 to accomplish this.

21) Set the mold correctly.

22) Go to the forge and complete the endgame. And that's it, you've won!

Curse of Blackmoor Manor: Area Guide

There are a lot of locked or secret areas in the mansion. Only the first eight rooms on this list are accessible in the beginning of the game.

Nancy's Room

*The phone in here can be used to call Hugh and the cook. You can use your cellphone to call anybody else.
*The alarm clock can be used to change the time, which is useful when it's nighttime and Nancy wants the other NPC's to wake up, for example.
*There is a coat of arms and a mural in here which you can examine.
*There is a fairy tale book on the mantle that you can read which contains some clues in it.
*There is a puzzle box in here which you will eventually need to open.
*There are star charts on the wall which you will need to read. (Click the folded corner of one star chart to access the next one--
there are five pages in all.)
*There is a tripod here which you will use at one point in the game.
*And there is another, hidden puzzle in here which will reveal itself when you have solved a different one.

Upstairs Hallway

*There are doors leading off this hallway to Nancy's room, Jane's room, Linda's room, Mrs. Drake's room, and a locked room you will
not be able to access until later. Don't bother with Mrs. Drake's room, you will never be able to enter it. There are also stairs leading
downstairs to the other three open rooms.
*There is a musical staircase leading up near Nancy's room. There is a puzzle to be solved up there.
*The cage of Loulou the parrot is hanging in the hall here. You will need to talk to him a few times during the game.

Jane's Room

*There's a puzzle to be solved just outside Jane's door.
*If you hear Jane and her tutor Ethel talking or singing in here, you will not be allowed to enter.
*This is where you can find Jane, one of the five main NPC's in the game. You'll need to return to talk to her many times in order for the plot to advance.
*There are three useful books in Jane's room, called Monsters, Introduction to Runes, and Mutus Liber.
*There are some papers with information on the Penvellyn family in the window seat.
*There's a toaster oven here where you can make cakes for Loulou.
*You can examine one of the tapestries more closely.
*There are some interesting objects of Jane's in here including a picture of her mother, a picture of her guinea pig, her "schoolwork" assignments,
a poster referencing an earlier game, and a chattering teeth toy. None of these are important, but they may be interesting.

Linda's Room

*This is where you can find Linda, one of the five main NPC's in the game. You'll need to return to talk to her many times in order for the plot to advance.
*There are some interesting clues to the mystery's solution in here if you look around at the decor and the things on Linda's nightstand, listen at her door,
and examine the muddy footprints that appear in front of her door part-way through the game.

Great Hall

*The portraits and coats-of-arms in here contain clues you will need.
*The columns contain a puzzle you will eventually solve.
*There's a card playing automaton named Betty in here that isn't really necessary to play, but can give you valuable clues.

Conservatory

*This is where you can find Mrs. Drake, one of the five main NPC's in the game. You'll need to return to talk to her many times in order for the plot to advance.
*You can examine Mrs. Drake's allergy medicine here.
*You can examine the plaque on the urn more closely.
*There's a giant carnivorous plant here. You can examine it if you like... carefully. :-)
*You can examine the empty fountain. This will become a puzzle at some point in the game.
*If Mrs. Drake is not here, there is a letter that you can take from the Venus flytrap which is interesting to read.

Library

*This is where you can find Nigel, one of the five main NPC's in the game. You'll need to return to talk to him many times in order for the plot to advance.
*You can examine the statue in front of Nigel's desk more closely.
*You can examine the books for some interesting information.
*Alan Penvellyn's computer is here. You will need to use this at one point in the game.
*When Nigel isn't in, you can snoop around on his computer, too.

Downstairs Hallway

*There's not much here. The kitchen is closed and you cannot enter it. You can look at Brigitte's cricket trophy.

Locked Upstairs Room

*You need a key to get in here.
*There are two secret passageways in here... you must solve a puzzle to get into one of them, and you must have
finished Alan Penvellyn's game to learn how to open the other.

Jane's Secret Passageway

*This area is all puzzles. You cannot miss anything in here; you must do all the word puzzles in order to advance. The final
puzzle, with triangles on it, can only be solved in tandem with a similar puzzle in Linda's passageway.

Linda's Secret Passageway

*You can find a peephole into Linda's room in here. Be sure to look through it!
*There's a rune puzzle to solve here, a knight puzzle that you will solve later (be sure to check out the peeophole in his nose too),
and the other half of the puzzle from Jane's passageway.

Moving Rooms Maze

*You get in here once you have solved both halves of the triangle puzzle. You just have to solve the puzzle, get through the maze, and
open the alchemical door.

Forge

This is the endgame area. It contains lots of clues to help you solve the long string of final puzzles. Read Penelope's letter, a journal page,
the Aeolus book, the Penvellyn Ancestors book on the work table; Albert's parchment on the shelf above that;,
Corbin's parchment on the whetstone; and Charles' journal, a parchment about the Penvellyn treasure, and the Mercury parchment
on the small table. There's also an important item in here you will need for one of your tasks.

*Read the humorous end of the society article about the Penvellyns in the introduction?
*Noticed muddy footprints in the hall?
*Been awakened at night by strange chanting?
*Followed a cloaked figure and picked up a pair of glowing red goggles?
*Noticed claw marks in the molding of your door?
*Seen Mrs. Drake hanging a charm on Linda's door?
*Been caught going down the slide by Ethel? (She doesn't always catch you, but boy, is she nasty when she does!)
*Had a nightmare? (This happened to me when I played the game myself, but not when I played with my kids. I fiddled around
with it quite a bit but still have no idea what the difference was.)
*Spied on Linda through a peephole?
*Scared Nigel into thinking the house is haunted? (This happens if you solve the knight puzzle while he is sitting in the library.)
*Entered the well and read a weird message about a guinea pig?
*Fed the venus flytrap and read a letter to Aunt Leticia?
*Been shown a threatening note Jane received?
*Gotten a threatening note under your door?
*Read a postcard from Jane's mother?
*Overheard Jane and Ethel singing "Brigitte's Ballad"?
*Read the notes for Nigel's evolving book? (He updates notes twice in the course of the game.)